Friends Series
by Chenanceou
Summary: Spike finds a friend. It's all about Spike here folks. Some S/B ship, but it mostly deals with Spike trying to find his place in the world.
1. What A Difference A Friend Makes

Title: What A Difference A Friend Makes 1/1  
  
By: Chen  
  
Rating: G  
  
Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to Joss Whedon and ME (Grr! Argh!) and, alas, not to me.  
  
Spoilers: Kinda all the way to GONE.  
  
This is dedicated to Blue Eyes, because even the darkest being needs a friend.  
  
*  
  
He saw her the first time at Willie's. Not an usual sight. She seemed like a nice, normal girl. That *was* the problem of course. What would a nice, normal girl be doing at Willie's? She had tried not to give away that she was looking at him. But doing a lousy job at it. Hey, she was not a bad looking one at all. Spike took in the long, black hair and the black on black attire, mirroring his own black jeans and T-shirt. She had style. Her full lips were of a deep red, even though there was not a drop of make-up on her face. A soft and gentle face too. She reminded him of a Renaissance Madonna.  
  
Hell, why not? It was not like he had anything else to do tonight. The Slayer had made it very clear she wanted nothing to do with him. And to tell the truth he was getting fed up with the hot/cold/hot winds coming from Revello Drive.  
  
Spike got up and strode to the end of the bar, sitting on the stool next to the girl.  
  
"Hello there pet? What is a nice girl like you, doing in a place like this?"  
  
"That is the lamest line I have ever heard. You are *that* out of practice?" She had an attractive smile, graced with deep dimples on each side of her mouth. She looked at him and said the last thing he had expected, "I was looking for you."  
  
She was a feisty one then. "Well, you've found me luv. What do you say about." - Spike whispered in her year what he would like to do to her.  
  
The girl laughed outloud, making heads turn. Definitely not a reaction he had ever received when making that kind of proposition. A slap on the face, even being thrown out of a window. But laughter? He didn't like it and made a movement to get up from the stool.  
  
Her hand on his arm stopped him. "I was looking for you." Something in her black eyes made him sit back on the stool. "You don't remember me, do you? It's okay. You saved me. Saved my life some months ago. It took me a while to track you down. But I found you."  
  
"Please - no need to thank me. Wait, maybe you can repay me.. What I said earlier. interested?"  
  
"It's tempting, but no. Like I said, it took me a while to track you down. And when I was trying to find you I learned all about Spike, the vampire traitor. The one who fights side by side the Slayer because. He loves her. So, even if you are one fine looking vamp. I think I will pass."  
  
"Is it all over the place now? Maybe I should carry a sign."  
  
"I think it's poetic. Like Romeo and Juliet. Oops. Bad comparison. We all know how that ended."  
  
"Badly. So will this."  
  
"Not necessarily." Seeing his forlorn face she looked at him and asked, "Are you all right? Want to talk about it?"  
  
Motioning to Willie the girl got a hot Bloody Mary for Spike and with her eyes indicated a more private booth.  
  
They talked for hours. Well, he talked and she listened. He told her about Buffy, about the summer she was gone and how it had been when she had been brought back. He found himself telling the stranger all the things he had been carrying around for a very long time. She interrupted him every once in a while, asking relevant questions and probing him on. Time passed and Spike was surprised to see it was almost dawn - they had been talking all night. He would have just enough time to make it back to his crypt.  
  
"Nice talking to you, lamb. What is your name? I don't think I got one from you."  
  
"My name isÂ  Charlotte, but my friends call me Charlie." She gave him a dimpled smile. "After tonight, you get to call me Charlie."  
  
"Well, good to meet you, Charlie."  
  
Regretfully he had said good bye to the girl. What a strange bird she was. He couldn't deny though, he actually felt better after the talk. Not an ordinary girl... going through all that trouble just to thank him.  
  
A couple of days latter Spike found himself stuck in an alley when the sun unexpectedly had peeked through the clouds. The day had been dark enough to venture off when he had ran out of fags. Oh hell, he could wait a few minutes to make it to the tunnels. He sat on a the floor and had been startled by the sound of a zippo closing with that characteristic click.Â   
  
"Hello Spike." It was the girl from Willie's. She was again wearing the black on black and had a burning cigarette between her fingers.  
  
"Charlie. Fancy meeting you here. Can I bum a fag?"  
  
Her rich laughter filled the alley, "You want to bum a fag??"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. You Yankees are so cute. We gave you your culture, your language and now we are the ones who talk funny. You know what I mean."  
  
"Yes, I do. But c'mon . That was funny!"Â   
  
She dug into her pocket and pulled a pack of Marlboros, "Here you go. Keep the pack."  
  
"Thanks pet." He lit the cigarette and noticed Charlie had been observing him intently. "What is it?"  
  
"You are a vampire, but you are out in the daylight. I thought you guys were. You know. Creatures of the night!" - she did her best Vincent Price imitation.  
  
"What can I say? I've always been a rebel, luv." He favored her with one of his rare full smiles.  
  
"You have the most adorable smile! I hadn't realized that. So what are you doing here, Mr. Rebel?"  
  
"I wanted to get fags before Passions started on the telly. The sun came out full force for a while and I got kind of stuck. The blanket here was smoking something awful and it's a long way to the tunnel."  
  
"Passions? You watch the soap? Do you think Timmy will have to sacrifice his life to win his love??"Â   
  
"No! I don't think so. Bugger! I will kill those gits at the NBC if they kill Timmy! You watch Passions Charlie?"  
  
"Yes. I usually don't like the soaps, but Timmy kinda won me over. I'm a closet fan though, I have nobody to talk to about it."  
  
"Well, now you have me." Spike looked at the fellow Timmy fan with satisfaction. Joyce had been the only other person who had liked Passions. "Want to come over and watch it with me? My place is not posh or anything."  
  
"I would love to!"Â   
  
"If you don't mind the blanket I think that now we could make a run for the tunnel a couple of blocks down."  
  
"No problem. Lead the way."  
  
They had watched Passions together and Spike was delighted that Charlie talked at the TV like he did. This girl was something else. She hadn't even blinked when he had led her through the tunnels to his crypt. Her only remark upon entering it, was "You get cable in here?"  
  
When the soap was over she had gotten up to go, still smiling over something he had said.  
  
"Charlie, humm. You are all right."  
  
"So are you Spike. That girl must be blind." She picked up her bag. "I have to go now, there's a story I need to finish."  
  
"A story?"  
  
"Yeah. That's what I do. I write children's books." His look of shock brought forth another burst of her very loud laugh. "What did you think?"  
  
"I didn't. Children's books, uh?"  
  
"Yes, children books. You would like my latest. It's. a different kind of story. Well, I really have to go now. It will be dark soon, and as I have learnt first hand, I shouldn't be out here after dark."  
  
"Want me to walk you out of the cemetery? Lots of baddies out there."  
  
"No, I will be fine. Besides that blanket of yours needs a rest. Here's my phone number. Call me when you feel like hanging out."  
  
Spike looked at the card in his hand. Card? Hanging out? He was turning into a poof.Â   
  
When he looked up to say something, Charlie was already gone. The card laid there on the table of his improvised kitchen for days. Calling Charlie would be so. human of him. He couldn't bring himself to do it. What would that say about him? He did miss the girl though. She was. fun.  
  
A week latter Spike woke up to find a parcel wrapped up in brown paper, carefully tied with twine, waiting for him on the chair in front of the TV. On top of it was a note in an elegant calligraphy.  
  
Dear S.,  
  
This is the story I have been working on. It's just my first draft, but I wanted your take on it.  
  
Call me to say what you thought about it.  
  
Take care,  
  
Charlie  
  
He opened the parcel and inside were some printed pages. Horace, the Good Vampire? What the. He sat down and started reading. It was a simple story about a nice vampire who didn't want to hurt or scare anyone. All he wanted was to find a friend to play with him. Spike read on, chuckling at the adventures of Horace. Charlie had a gift for telling a story in a way a child would understand, but at the same time conveying to the tots a deeper message. This one was very clear: What you see is not always what you get. Horace was a vampire, but he was a good guy.  
  
Spike got up and found the card. He turned it in his hands, a decision finally made. He picked up his duster and headed to the nearest pay phone.  
  
The weeks after that opened a new world to Spike and he liked it. Charlie was great fun and he liked hanging out with her. They were. friends. She had introduced him to her girlfriend, a journalist who was out of town a lot. He liked the girls and was astounded when they accepted him as part of the family. WhenÂ  Frances was away on assignment, Charlie and Spike would hang out together by themselves. They talked about everything. Eventually Spike told Charlie his deepest secrets. He told her about William and about the other William, the Bloody one. Once he started, he couldn't shut up. Charlie took it all in. Sometimes crying, sometimes laughing. But always trying to understand the "why's" of what he told her. It was a revelation to the vampire. He had never had any real friends, not even as a human. Charlie didn't laughed at him, but always with him. They did that a lot together - laughed and watched their favorite soap. The first time Charlie had hugged him he had stood there, not really knowing what to do. She had looked at him and filled the room with that scandalous and warm laugh that was Charlie and "taught" him how to hug back. Spike was not used to physical contact that wasn't about sex. Who would have thought hugs that didn't involve a shag could feel so good? Who would have thought that a friend could make such a difference in a vampire's life?  
  
He saw Buffy on patrol and with Charlie's encouragement was able to keep his distance. Life was better now that he had a mate to do things with.  
  
When the pain would get too much he would drag his sorry ass over to an awaiting Charlie. Hot chocolate in hand and a sympathetic ear. On one of these nights he was sitting on his favorite chair at the girl's small house, telling Charlie the same sad tale when the girl got up, looked at him and said: "Gimme a minute?"  
  
With that she disappeared into her bedroom, only to come out half an hour latter looking like a million dollars.  
  
"What's the get up for?" Spike took in the clingy dress and the high heels.  
  
"Enough of the sad talk. Let's go and have some fun! You, mister, are taking me dancing at the Bronze."  
  
"The Bronze? No, luv. The Scoobies will be there."  
  
"I know." Winking, she gave him a pouty look and asked, "Are you ashamed to be seen with me?"  
  
"No! Not at all! You look. You know you look great. It's just that Buffy."  
  
"Buffy will see you, dancing at the Bronze, with me. Get it?"  
  
He did.  
  
They went to the Bronze and Charlie headed straight to the dance floor dragging him with her. The girl could dance too.  
  
"Don't look for her. Just look at me and I will do the reconnaissance. Think of me as a nice juicy pint of blood!" She laughed and turned, swaying her hips to the music while surveying the room. She had heard about the Scoobies and Buffy often enough that she could spot them. And soon she did.Â   
  
"Table at the back, to the right. Redhead, whelp, girl with blond hair - that is a horrid color by the way - and. Yep. She is here." He was turning his head when she placed a hand on each side of his face and made him look at her. "She is looking at us and if she doesn't close her mouth, she will eat a fly soon." She smiled at Spike and started dancing closer. Spike go the message and concentrated on not looking behind him.Â   
  
Buffy couldn't believe her eyes. There was Spike, dancing with a *very* pretty girl. If you went for that type, of course. If you went for very tall, with legs up to there and long silky hair, type of girl.  
  
Charlie leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "After this song. We could go and get something to drink. We would have to pass right by their table and you could introduce us."  
  
Spike loved this girl. He gave her a happy smile and his enthusiasm made Charlie laugh.  
  
The song ended and to the bar they headed. He didn't even have to walk over, for Xander called him, "Hey, Spike! Who is your. friend?" Xander had to stop himself from adding "hot" to the question.  
  
"Oh, hello everybody. This is Charlie. Charlie. These are Willow, Harris, Anya and Buffy. I help them with slaying sometimes."  
  
"You mean, she knows about." Willow couldn't help staring at the tall babe that was hanging on Spike's arm.  
  
"That Spike is a vampire? Yes. Nice to meet you all."  
  
"You know?" Xander's turn to ask.  
  
"That's how we met, actually. I was about to be sucked dry by this ugly thing and Spike here saved me, didn't you honey?"Â   
  
Well, it wasn't a lie, was it? He made a note to himself to get Charlie a big box of those dark chocolates she was so fond of. "Yes, sweetheart. And a happy night that was." Charlie was holding his hand and Buffy couldn't take her eyes off the entwined hands.  
  
"So, you followed my advice and got a girlfriend. Good for you. I mean, if she is okay with you being undead and all." Xander's mouth moved, but his eyes were stuck to Charlie's cleavage.  
  
"What matters is what is in a person's heart." Charlie's voice was like a purr. She was really making an impression. "And William here has more heart than most humans I know." With that she kissed Spike full on the lips. Just a quick one, but enough to leave a carmine smudge. A smudge she cleaned by rubbing her thumb provocatively slowly over his lips. "Well, nice to meet you, but we were heading to the bar to get something to drink. Bye."  
  
"I will see you tomorrow at patrolling, Slayer."  
  
With that the two left. The four at the table were silent for a while, their eyes following Spike and his. girlfriend. Anya noticed that Xander's eyes were glued to the girl's hips as she walked away.  
  
"Xander likes Spike's girlfriend."  
  
"What? No sweetie. It's just that it is weird. I mean, we were so used to dead boy there following Buffy around with those puppy eyes."  
  
"It looks like he is over it. No more Spike under the tree. Must be a relief Buffy." Anya had a way with words that was hard to ignore.  
  
"Yeah. A relief." Her voice trailed off. She looked over to the bar and saw Spike engrossed in conversation with Charlie. He was making the girl laugh again and Buffy felt something tugging at her heart. Spike looked so happy. So. relaxed.  
  
The night went from bad to worse for Buffy. She couldn't help it but see the odd couple everywhere she looked. They were dancing, they were laughing. Amazon Girl even played pool with him. Willow made some commentary about how long the girl's hair was and Buffy's hand unconsciously went to her now short hair. Charlie was very pretty. Too pretty.  
  
The next night during patrolling Buffy had been dying to ask Spike about Charlie, but waited for him to volunteer some information. When Spike kept to himself, as he was doing more and more often now. She caved in.  
  
"So. That Charlie girl. She's okay with you being a vampire? What is she? Some kind of demon-lover?"  
  
"Don't talk about her like that, please. Charlie is a very nice girl, who has done nothing to you - other than go dancing with me."  
  
"I don't care what you two do. I just think it's weird for a human to be hanging around a vampire."  
  
"You did." The emphasis on the 'you' made Buffy wince. "And before you say something nasty, I don't feel like fighting. We are here to patrol, not to go into one of those fruitless discussions on how I am a thing."  
  
They walked for a while in tense silence. Spike fetched a cigarette from his duster and lit it. He didn't like those heavy silences between them, but he also didn't like Buffy thinking badly about his friend. "If you have to know, Charlie is a writer. A good one too. The fact that I am a vampire doesn't bother her because, as she says, what you see is not always what you get. You see a vampire - an evil thing. Charlie sees the person who saved her life and who makes her laugh." He took a deep drag from his cigarette. "It all depends on how deep one looks. She chose to look deeper."  
  
Buffy was speechless. She wanted to answer him with some wisecracking remark, but the obvious affection Spike had for the girl was what had. stung her. He really cared for the amazon gal. And that hurt.  
  
Spike saw her face and the hurt in her eyes made his heart soar. Buffy was jealous. But it was better not to lie to her. Sooner or latter she was bound to find out the truth about his relationship with Charlie and. "We are just friends, Buffy."  
  
"Yeah, right." Sarcasm made her voice quite unattractive.  
  
"Why would I bloody lie to you, woman?! Or is it so impossible that I actually have a friend? I get it - it's plausible that some other human is into the kinky sex for sex's sake with the vampire. But, friends? That would imply trust, affection.real feelings. And that is something an evil thing like me is incapable of!" He was very close to loosing his cool and he had promised himself, and Charlie, he wouldn't let the Slayer push his buttons anymore. "It's late - you don't need help patrolling anymore. I have to go."  
  
With that he left. Spike knew exactly where he was headed - he was going to Charlie's. He desperately needed someone to talk to. It was late, but Charlie didn't mind. She joked with him the reason they got along so well was that she lived like a vampire. Writing late into the night and sleeping the better part of the morning. What the vampire didn't see was the tiny blond girl following him from a safe distance.  
  
He got to Charlie's house and rang the bell. A couple of minutes latter the door opened and Charlie stood at the door. "Buffy?"  
  
"Buffy. Damn her." He stood there with his head hanging down, feeling the anger beginning to change to the all too familiar slayer blues.  
  
"You know, we really should stop meeting like this. C'mon inside sweetie. Mumsy will make you some hot chocolate." To his questioning face, Charlie gave a theatrical sigh and answered, "Okay, *with* marshmallows. Boy, she must really have gotten to you tonight."  
  
Buffy stood in the shadows as the vampire followed the girl into the house. She circled towards the back door and peeked through the window. What she saw and heard next, came as a total shock to her.  
  
Spike was perched on the kitchen's counter while Charlie, in sweats, poured mini-marshmallows into his mug.  
  
"There - extra marshmallows. What did she do now?"  
  
"I tried to tell her you and I were just friends. You know? I didn't want to lie to her."  
  
"And.?"  
  
"And she just wouldn't believe me, luv. It's okay if I was shagging you, but the fact that I have a human friend who likes me?" He snorted. "No, that is just not possible."  
  
"Oh, Spike. Why do you let her get to you like that? She really doesn't deserve such devotion, you know?"  
  
"But she isn't always like that, Charlie. She is so loyal to those friends of hers. She is such a brave girl. And you should see her fight!" His eyes shone when the image of Buffy in full Slayer mode flashed before his eyes.  
  
"You are a lost cause." Charlie tousled his hair as if he was a child. In more ways than one the vampire reminded her of a little lost boy.  
  
"She just can't get past what I was. In truth, what I am."  
  
"Forgive me honey, but what you were is not who you are anymore. You changed. I am not saying that what you did wasn't wrong. The stories you told me gave me nightmares for days. But you haven't been that for a long time. You managed to become a pretty decent guy - and with no help from anybody. If you want my opinion, she is just using that as an excuse to keep you away."  
  
"Well, she is doing a mighty good job at that."  
  
"What a waste. Such a good match." Spike shot her a surprised look. "Don't look so surprised, hon. She is the Slayer. What does she think? She is going to settle down with some nice bloke with a 9 to 5 job? If she is as strong as you say she is, she will crush the poor bastard! I feel bad for her. But life is not easy. It's not supposed to be. If she wasn't such an abusive person, I would say you two were perfect for each other."  
  
"You are saying that to make me feel better." Yes, just like a little lost boy. How could Charlie resist playing mommy?  
  
"No, I am saying it because I love you and I always tell you the truth."  
  
Spike's eyes suddenly were full of tears. He tried to look away, but Charlie had caught it.  
  
"What's the matter? You are. crying?" The concern in her voice only made it worse for Spike.  
  
"I have to go." He got up hurriedly and tried to escape.  
  
"You get your cute behind back in here and tell me what is wrong. I mean it. Now."  
  
"It's just. I haven't heard that. In a long time." Spike whispered as he turned to his friend, his eyes wet with tears.  
  
"Oh, baby." Charlie put her arms around him, drawing him into a comforting hug. "I love you. You know that. And there's no need to be embarrassed about having feelings." She hugged him tighter. "I could kill that girl for hurting you so much."  
  
Spike's raised his head from Charlie's shoulder and he was grinning at her. "Charlie. thanks pet, but Buffy would kick your ass."  
  
"Okay, then maybe it's safer to write a letter instead?" They both giggled at that.  
  
Buffy left the window and started going home. Spike had told her the truth. They were just friends. Really good friends. From what she could gather Charlie had been told by Spike about his adventures pre-chip. She had seen how affectionate Charlie had been with Spike. Spike had a girl friend, not a girlfriend. A girl friend who thought Buffy was being abusive. A friend who made him hot chocolate and listened to his troubles. A friend that took his side. Much like Willow when the witch was consoling Buffy. She was stunned. He had been right, and how she hated that he usually was, it had been easier for her to believe he was shagging Charlie than to believe he had something as normal as a friend. With a sigh, she opened the door to her house. She had a feeling she had a lot of thinking to do.  
  
Buffy decided to go to the crypt during the day. It was better to catch him unaware. She walked in to find Spike sitting on his chair watching TV. With Charlie beside him. She felt like the intruder there - the two had been talking, abruptly halting the conversation when she walked in.  
  
Charlie got up and kissed Spike on the cheek. "I'll see you latter, baby. Call me."  
  
As she passed by Buffy, she whispered, "Please, don't hurt him."  
  
Buffy felt her face grow hot with shame. The crypt door closed and the silence between the two was tense.  
  
"Slayer."  
  
"Spike."  
  
The two had started to speak at the same time and now felt even more embarrassed.  
  
"Spike, I just wanted to say I am sorry. I had no right to."  
  
"You're right about that. Insulting me is one thing, but insulting my friend..."  
  
Buffy cut him, "I said I was sorry."  
  
They fell into another long silence. Buffy bit nervously at her bottom lip. Not knowing how to start.  
  
"I've missed you." That should do for a start, she thought.  
  
"Missed your toy, Slayer?" He couldn't leave the bitterness out of his voice.  
  
"No, I've missed my friend."  
  
"We can't be friends, Slayer. No more than Charlie and I can be lovers. Don't you know I can't be close to you without getting all sorts of feelings ricocheting inside?"  
  
"It's. like that. for.. me. too." Her voice was so soft that only a vampire would have been able to hear.  
  
"Buffy?" He had crossed the space separating them so fast she was startled to find him standing inches away from her "You are saying.?"  
  
"I am saying that. it's not only the sex. It's more than that. But I don't know what it is and. I need to figure it out. I need to stop being such a bitch... I know." Buffy looked genuinely embarrassed. "When I saw you with Charlie at the Bronze. I wanted to chop off her hair." She looked up at his face and was met with a smile that illuminated his eyes. "I am not saying it will be all hugs and puppies. I need time to get used to this. But. if you give me time I want to try. I will try to be better. We could date."  
  
"Date after everything that we've done together?"  
  
"Yes. Specially because of everything that we've done together. We, I mean I, started this the wrong way. It would be a way of getting to know each other. in a new way."  
  
Spike embraced her and pulled her close, not trusting himself to speak. After so long, she was saying what he had longed to hear. An honest shot at a relationship. He felt his chest expanding. The joy inside occupying every atom of his body. He lowered his head and kissed the lips she was offering him. they were salty from her tears. Spike searched Buffy's face for any doubt. There was none to be found. She was scared, yes. but determined. "I love you. If that's what it takes, that's what we'll do. You can come and meet my friends." Buffy giggled. "I have friends, you know!"  
  
"I know, hon." Buffy's imitation of Charlie's endearment was music to his ears. One day, maybe, she would really call him hon.  
  
Nah. probably not. She was the Slayer after all.  
  
  
  
The End 


	2. That's What Friends Are For

Title: That's What Friends Are For  
  
By: Chen  
  
Rating: G  
  
Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to Joss Whedon and ME (Grr! Argh!) and, alas, not to me.  
  
Spoilers: All the way to GONE.  
  
Author's note: I fell in love with Charlie. So bear with me.  
  
*  
  
"Charlie? It's me, Spike."  
  
"Hello there hon, how are you?"  
  
"I couldn't be better Charlie – she said she wants to try and have a honest relationship. An honest shot. Of course, she also said no more shagging – I have to date. Can you believe this?" He tried to sound annoyed, but his voice betrayed his happiness  
  
"I am so happy for you baby! If that girl doesn't treat you right you just tell me, I can always write the Slayer a threatening letter. Anonymously of course."  
  
Spike couldn't help but chuckle. "I hope it's okay with you – I know I said I would come by tonight, but .."  
  
"Say no more. And don't worry about ditching me at the last minute." Charlie gave him one of her best dramatic sighs. "Just joking! Frances called and she is coming home tonight from LA, so I guess this works out nicely for all of us. We both get to see our girls tonight."  
  
"You are the best Charlie! One more thing luv, make sure to be careful. I heard there is a new baddie in town and I don't want anything to happen to you. That's our first real date by the way: dinner followed by patrolling." He made it sound like nothing in the world could be more proper for a first date.  
  
"You kids are so romantic. Nothing like a little vamp dust after a candlelit dinner." Charlie loved to tease Spike and she wasn't going to stop now. "Don't worry hon, I remember the lesson: a vampire can't come in…"  
  
"Unless you invite him first. That's my girl. I will come by tomorrow night and I will tell you all the details. Bye now."  
  
"Bye hon."  
  
Charlie hung up the phone, shaking her head. That boy was something else… he sounded like a little boy who had gotten both the pony and the bicycle for Christmas. She went back to the kitchen to check on the pasta. Everything seemed fine there and she placed the pasta in the oven to keep it warm. Frances should be home soon and that gave her enough time to take a quick shower.  
  
Hours latter Charlie woke up on the couch with a major feeling that something was not right. She glanced at the VCR clock and it informed her it was past 2 am. Frances hadn't come home yet. Charlie tried the journalist's cell phone only to be greeted by an impersonal message.  
  
"It's me, please call me to let me know how you are. I am a little worried."  
  
Truth was she was more than a little worried. The drive from LA wasn't a specially long one, but still… roads were never safe and Frances had a bad track record when it came to letting her know she was going to be running late. Charlie decided to go to bed and remembering Spike's warning made sure all doors were locked. Better not tempt fate.  
  
*  
  
Charlie sat at her computer trying to come up with something. It was difficult for every time a car passed by she glanced into the night expecting it to be Frances. She had called the magazine only to be told they had no idea where she was – but that perhaps she had decided to get some background for her next assignment. Charlie decided she needed to have a serious talk with her girl. It was really not cool of her not to call to let her now she was going to be delayed. Mercifully Spike was due any minute and the promise of all the juicy details of her friend's new found bliss shooed away some of her fears.  
  
The doorbell rang and Charlie got up.  
  
"Coming Spike."  
  
Charlie opened the door and there on the doorsill stood Frances.  
  
"Baby, I was so worried. Why didn't you call?"  
  
"Sorry Charlie, somebody stole the damn cell phone. I got held up at a meeting and then everything got crazy. But I am here now." She still didn't came in.  
  
Charlie motioned to the girl to come in. "What? Are you going to stand there all night? Come in. But make no mistake, I *will* get furious with you latter." Taking in France's pale face, she softned. "Are you hungry?"  
  
Frances came in with a smile playing on her lips. "I was waiting to get home to eat, baby."  
  
*  
  
Spike walked down the street with a new lightness in his step. He had to admit he was happy. So tonight wasn't the romantic night he had expected. Plus there definitely had been no shagging. But… they had held hands for a while during patrol and dinner had been an interesting affair. Buffy had dressed up for the occasion and it made him feel good to know she had gotten all spruced up for him. She had looked so lovely… absolutely gorgeous. He couldn't wait to tell Charlie… He made his way up to the door and rang the doorbell… just to see that the door was not closed completely. He cursed Charlie in his head. He had warned her – she should be more careful!  
  
"Charlie, I told you to lock all doors, pet! We still haven't found the…"  
  
"Hello there, Spike."  
  
It was Frances. Holding in her arms Charlie. A very scared, but mercifully alive Charlie.  
  
"So Frances… What happened?"  
  
"I came back home. Thought I would grab a bite you know?" Her smile was Frances's smile, but she had a new unpleasant glint in her eyes.  
  
Spike heard Charlie cry. It must be hell for her seeing the one she loved like this. He only hoped she understood that the vampire was no longer Frances, but a demon. An evil thing. Spike concentrated on the newcomer to his race.  
  
"C'mon ducks, you don't want to eat Charlie here. She lives on frozen pizza and coffee. The blood is hardly worth it." His tone went from cajoling to steel. "Besides, you would have to dust me first. Trust me, you wouldn't want to do that."  
  
The new vampire went into game face and exposed its fangs with a primitive threatening growl. Charlie winced as she felt the iron grip tighten even more. With one hand Frances swept Charlie's long, black hair away from her lover's neck and started lowering her fangs to the exposed vein.  
  
G'd , Charlie thought, not like this.  
  
Spike was waiting for an opening and the overly cocky new vamp was too lost in the bloodlust to notice the more experienced vampire moving. Spike quickly crossed the space separating them and with one hard blow he separated the girls.  
  
"Get out! Run Charlie!"  
  
The girl may have been newly made, but her blows were swift and fighting for her unlife seemed to add strength to the punches and kicks. Spike focused on getting the girl out of the house – he would do his best to avoid dusting Frances in front of Charlie. Unfortunately Frances was not willing to comply and quickly the small living room was trashed. Trying to keep an eye on the vampire and making sure that Charlie was okay was becoming increasingly difficult. He reached out for the stake he had tucked in his duster's inside pocket and tried to plunge it, only to loose it when Frances managed to land a kick on his chest.  
  
When Charlie saw Spike being thrown across the room she picked a lamp and tried to crash it on France's head. For her efforts she received a hard punch in the gut that landed her against the wall. With her mind still whirling with pain and confusion Charlie felt the shards of glass of the mirror she had landed on, digging into her back. She removed the largest piece out of her shoulder with a loud cry and the smell of blood filled the air. Hearing Charlie's cry, Spike instinctively turned towards it and that was all the advantage Frances needed. With a well placed punch she had him down on the floor and straddled. She looked down at Spike with her fangs barred in an ugly smile and held the his own stake to his heart.  
  
"So, it seems bleach boy is going bye bye now. Nice knowing y…"  
  
Spike saw the vampire explode into a million dust particles and standing over him was a disheveled Charlie.  
  
"I killed Frances."  
  
"No, pet. You killed a demon." Spike got up and tried to check Charlie for wounds.  
  
"I killed Frances", Charlie repeated in that empty voice that was unrecognizable to Spike. He saw the girl crumble to the floor and reached out to hug her. It registered in his mind that it had been Charlie who had taught him how to give a proper hug. He just never thought that he would be hugging Charlie to comfort her for something like this.  
  
Charlie rocked back and forth whispering to herself over and over… "I killed Frances. I killed Frances…"  
  
Spike was getting scared now. How could he make her understand? How?  
  
"Listen to me Charlie. You didn't kill a human. The demon killed her. You killed a thing. An evil thing. A vampire. Like me. Frances is dead, but her death didn't take place here tonight. Get it? She was dead already! That thing was NOT FRANCES." He was yelling and shaking his friend now. The frustration, the fear and the shame consuming him. He was a vampire. Just an evil thing that because of some government wankers, was prevented from hunting. It was something like him that had caused this much pain to one of the few people he loved in this world. He never had been so grateful for that bloody chip in his head as now.  
  
"Charlie, please forgive me. Please, stay with me. Don't loose it, please. It wasn't your fault, luv. It wasn't your fault."  
  
Charlie finally looked at him, understanding slowly dawning in her eyes. "A thing. I killed a thing. Frances is… dead. The demon killed her." She repeated the words as a child would repeat a specially difficult lesson. Then the tears came and they wouldn't stop. Spike held her close to his body as if by doing that he could shield her from the pain that was ripping her apart. He remembered how it had been when he had lost Buffy not so long ago. He knew the searing pain that came with such loss. It wasn't much different for Charlie. Her lover was dead. Her love was dead and nothing would be quite the same. She had dusted the vampire, but that vampire had Frances's face, had her voice…  
  
"Oh, Charlie, I wish I could take the pain away."  
  
He carried the girl into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed very carefully. All the while a crying Charlie held on to the lapels of his duster as if it was the only thing preventing her from drowning. Spike let her hide her face in his chest and made comforting sounds. He knew from experience it would be better to let her cry it out.  
  
A couple of hours latter an exhausted Charlie's breathing became regular. Spike took the strands of hair from her face and looked at his friend. Even in her sleep she couldn't really rest… Spike tenderly smoothed the lines on her troubled face.  
  
He closed his eyes and in his mind heard her absurdly scandalous laughter. Heads always turned when she laughed and she just didn't care. His Charlie was an original. Spike hoped that she had the strength inside her to make it through the pain.  
  
"If you don't, it doesn't matter, pet. I do and what I have I will give to you."  
  
When Spike was sure Charlie was in deep sleep, he got up and went to the living room to take inventory of the mess there. Better try to clean up some. He straightened the couch and tried to give the room some semblance of order. Who was he kidding? He sat down heavily and looked around. No matter how clean the room seemed when Charlie woke up… Things that really were important, wouldn't be the same. His friend was on that bed and would be awake soon with some serious things to deal with.  
  
This was so complicated and the truth was he also wondered about what was the best procedure to deal with the fact that there was no more Frances. Not when it came to Charlie – he would do everything in his power to see her through this. But he had a nagging feeling there was also the legal side to deal with here. Someone didn't just disappear. Well, maybe in Sunnydale they did.  
  
"Bugger! What am I going to do?" Spike asked the wall. Digging through the mess he found the telephone.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
"Spike what in the hell are you doing calling me in the middle of the night?!" She was one really sleepy and cranky slayer.  
  
"Buffy, please listen, luv. I came over to Charlie's and… Buffy there was a vampire in the house."  
  
"Is she okay?" Suddenly she was completely awake now.  
  
"Yes and no luv. The vampire… the vampire was her girlfriend. She dusted her." Spike was choking on his own words now. "Charlie saved my life, Buffy."  
  
Buffy made a gagging noise on the other side. Killing someone you love. Loved one turning out to want you dead. Spike had almost died. Too close to home for her, Spike thought. "Buffy I wouldn't call you for anybody else… But this is Charlie." Buffy could hear a heavy sigh. "I put her in bed and she fell asleep, but I have a feeling she will be awake soon and… I need help."  
  
"I will be right over."  
  
"Thanks, luv."  
  
Buffy must have run all the way because it was only a few minutes latter that Spike heard a soft knock on the door.  
  
"Come in, luv. Let me just check on Charlie."  
  
Spike went to the bedroom to make sure Charlie was still asleep and came into the living room to find Buffy picking up the stake from the floor. The room was still in an upheaval and the telltale vampire dust marked the spot.  
  
"Okay. What has to be done is report Frances missing with the police. That way there won't be any weird questions as to how come her roommate didn't find it strange when she failed to show up home." She looked at the bedroom where Charlie slept. "What about her? Do you think she will be okay?"  
  
"Okay? I don't know luv, but I am here for her as long as she needs me. That's what friends are for."  
  
Buffy looked at Spike with tears in her eyes. She had registered the pain in his voice and the concern for the girl. Was this the same person she had met four years ago? No… He had changed. A lot. She reached out to his face and caressed it. "I will help in any way I can. Now go stay with her, I will finish cleaning up and will be back in the morning." She glanced at her watch. "Which will be in a few hours."  
  
Spike nodded and went back into the bedroom drawing the heavy curtains. Charlie was whimpering in her sleep. Shedding his duster he laid down on the bed and drew the girl towards him. He kissed her forehead and smoothed her dark hair with his hands. "Shhh, luv. I am here. Everything will be all right."  
  
  
  
The End 


	3. A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed

Title: A Friend In Need, Is A Friend Indeed  
  
By: Chen  
  
Disclaimer: ME owns it. I don't.  
  
Rating: G  
  
A/N: Blame this on Charlie. The girl wouldn't leave me alone. This is the 3rd time! It's the sequel to 'That's What Friends Are For'.  
  
Thank you Colleen for being the fastest BETA ever!  
  
This is for every one of you who e-mailed me these past days. It meant so much to me.  
  
*   
  
  
  
It had been weeks. In the chaos that was Charlie's life after what she called "that night" the only constant had been Spike. He had unwaveringly stood by her side. Trying to cheer her up when he saw that shadow of sadness clouding her eyes and letting her cry while he held her, when the shadow completely swallowed her. He held her close then… Making soft comforting noises that made no sense, but that had the ability to soothe her. She eventually had asked him what they were and he had looked embarrassed.  
  
"It was what my mom said to me when I was a lad. It means nothing really, just baby talk… But it always made me feel better."  
  
Charlie reached out and squeezed his hand, looking into her friend's eyes. "It makes me feel better too, hon."  
  
And so the days had passed. For Spike life became very simple. Patrolling. Buffy. Charlie. Writing.  
  
It had been Charlie's idea that he should write down some of his colorful adventures. He had done it to humor her. Unbeknownst to him, the naughty girl had sent the results to her literary agent, who had called soon after saying that one of the short stories had been sold to a magazine. Thus, his career had started. Now they wrote together, Charlie on the PC and Spike sitting on the floor, with a laptop from the dark ages Charlie had fished out of the closet. She was trying to write about what had happened 'that night'. Not for public eyes, but to expiate the guilt and pain that would not leave her. Spike never asked to read it. Charlie never offered. She did read his stories though.  
  
The first time, she had cried and gone to her room, followed by Spike, cursing his bloody stupidity for having let her, under his breath.  
  
"Luv, I am sorry. Please?"  
  
After a few minutes she managed to collect herself and turned to face him. "Look at silly me." She cleaned the tears on her face with the back of her hands. "I am okay Spike. Can you imagine what a wreck I will be, if I cry every time I think about vampires?" Spike winced. "Oh, baby… I don't mean you! What a pair of braniacs we are…" She hugged him.  
  
"Listen, you don't feel bad about the 'vampire thing' and I will try not to feel bad about the 'vampire thing'. Does that even make sense?"  
  
Spike had looked at her face, twisted in a genuinely puzzled expression. "It makes sense to a pair of originals like us, luv. That's what matters."  
  
From that day on she had started to get better, as if that moment in the bedroom had been a hallmark in her grieving. The day after, Spike had gotten Charlie a necklace with a gold cross encrusted with tiny rubies. A red cross… Charlie had been so surprised that he would have given her such a… holy gift.  
  
    
  
Spike… Charlie looked up. He was sprawled on the couch, reading the TV guide trying to find something – anything really – that they could watch on a Tuesday night. Him being there made all the difference and she was more than grateful to him. She had tried to thank him and tried to tell him that it was okay if he left – he did have a life. She knew he saw Buffy only occasionally now and felt guilty he was spending so much time with her, instead of dating the Slayer. He had looked at her and smiled a sad little smile and replied nothing. He just stayed.   
  
"Spike?"  
  
"Yes, Charlie?" He put the TV guide down with a sigh. "There is absolutely nothing decent on the telly! You would think those gits would take some pity on us viewers and give us something funny to watch! Instead it's all angst!" He dug a fag from the his duster's pocket, lit it and offered to light one for Charlie.  
  
"No, thank you, baby." Charlie was brewing an idea in her head and maybe this was a good time as any to voice it. "Spike, would you mind terribly if we went out? You must be getting cabin fever by now."  
  
"Pet, don't worry about me. If you feel like going out – by all means we will go out." Spike searched her face. "You sure you feel up to it, luv?"   
  
"Bloody sure!" Charlie laughed at Spike's shocked expression. It was a 'lite' version of her rich and loud signature laughter, but it was one nevertheless. Spike felt his heart expanding in his chest. Charlie would be okay, after all.   
  
"So where would you 'bloody' like to go?" Charlie giggled and Spike had to keep himself from jumping for joy.   
  
"How about the… 'bloody' Bronze? It's not like there's anywhere else to go in town. Unless you were thinking of Willie's?" She was teasing? Teasing was of the good.  
  
"Nothing is too good for my Charlie. The bloody Bronze it is."  
  
"Just let me change out of my sweats, okay? I won't take long."  
  
Charlie returned a few minutes later wearing what they had come to refer to as 'their' uniform: black jeans, black T-shirt, black coat and black boots.  
  
"How do I look?" Charlie stood there striking a very good imitation of Spike's Big Bad pose, the red cross hanging on her neck contrasting with the black on black get up.   
  
"The girl has style," Spike said in his best seductive voice, holding the door open for a smiling Charlie.   
  
The Bronze was full, as it was on every day of the week. They grabbed a couple of beers and took a table away from the hubbub of the dance floor. Charlie sat there with her eyes refusing to focus, all the previous merriment gone. Spike could tell she was thinking about Frances, but decided to be quiet. She had to start coming back from those memory trips by herself. If she was unable to, he would be there to show her the way.  
  
"Spike?" Somebody tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to find Tara, smiling shyly. "Hello. I thought it was you. The blond hair."  
  
"Hello there, ducks. Do you know my friend Charlie?"  
  
"Oh, hi there, Charlie." Tara reached across the table to shake Charlie's extended hand.  
  
"So, what are you doing here?" Charlie glared at Spike and he quickly corrected himself, "I mean, are you alone? Would you care to join us?" Charlie smiled in approval. She would make a perfect gentleman out of him yet.  
  
   
  
"I came with my study group. They are over at the dance floor now, jumping around. Not really my scene, you know?"  
  
Spike pulled a chair for the girl to sit. He had no idea if Tara knew about Charlie and what had happened. Better not to say anything. Charlie needed to be around regular people, who wouldn't behave as if they were walking on eggshells.  
  
He chuckled to himself, Buffy HAD tried VERY hard. Too hard. Something about Charlie made the Slayer nervous. He could tell. Charlie also had issues. If Buffy as much as used a hard tone of voice with Spike, Charlie would get up and leave the room. He felt kind of weird having the two girls he loved most in his life not getting along. But Charlie was his priority now and Buffy had understood that. Okay, so she had *said* she understood that. Still, she dropped hints here and there that maybe he should pay some attention to her. It felt good that she cared… that she wanted his attention. He had continued to patrol and sometimes they would just sit down and talk about things, but he always went home to Charlie's afterwards. The girl had complained and pouted like a child, but in the end had accepted the fact that Spike was not backing down. He was not going anywhere.  
  
Spike looked over at the two girls talking to each other. Charlie leaned over to hear what Tara was saying, eyes focused on the girl. Something Tara said made Charlie laugh out loud. Spike felt a lump forming in his throat when he heard that wonderful and delicious sound… he had missed it so! Heads all around turned to look at the source of the explosion.  
  
Charlie, like before, didn't even notice.  
  
His Charlie would be just fine.  
  
   
  
The End 


	4. Just Good Friends

Title: Just Good Friends  
  
By: Chen  
  
Rating: G as always  
  
Spoilers: Kind of all the way to GONE  
  
Disclaimer: ME owns all things Buffy. I do have a claim to Charlie though. Or better yet, the girl owns me.  
  
A/N: Sequel to 'A Friend In Need, Is A Friend Indeed'  
  
   
  
*   
  
"Was that Tara?" Spike looked up from the laptop.   
  
"Yes, it was Tara if you must know." Charlie put the phone back in its cradle. "We are going to grab a cup of coffee at the Espresso Pump later on." Charlie tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.  
  
"Good, luv. I don't know ducks that well, but she seems to be a good girl."  
  
"Don't even go there Spike. I know what you are thinking!" Charlie pointed an accusatory finger at Spike, who was doing his best to look innocent.  
  
   
  
"What I *am* thinking is that you both have a lot in common. As in..." Charlie was getting that 'ready to rumble' expression on her face and Spike changed directions quickly. "... you're both good girls."   
  
   
  
"As in we are both trying to deal with relationships that ended badly and not that long ago. It's just a cup of coffee." Charlie sighed. "Listen, I am not ready to start anything and neither is she... At least not yet. I'm pretty sure she is still in love with Red." Spike chuckled at how Charlie had picked up his nicknames for the Scoobies. "And *you* should be taking care of your own business. Aren't you supposed to pick Buffy up?" She looked at Spike with concern and asked, "Are you going to tell her tonight? I hope she is okay with it."  
  
Spike knew Charlie was referring to the talk they had that morning. "Yeah. I am. I don't see why she would mind." Spike tried to sound more sure of himself than he actually did. "Anyway, we are going to the movies. Some bloody sappy story – it was her turn to pick." He shook his head in disbelief. "She has me doing all this 'normal' stuff and then we go on patrol and fight baddies. I wish she would put it in her thick head that there is no 'normal' for us."   
  
"Stop complaining, okay? I have no idea how difficult it must be for this girl to live the life she leads. She's what, not even twenty-one? With all the bad hands she has been dealt… I don't know how she can keep going. I guess... I understand her better now, than I did before." Charlie shook her head to drive away the bad memories. "All I am saying is that she needs some semblance of normalcy in her life, hon. You wanted to be with her. She now wants to be with you." Charlie did a right on imitation of his accent, "An honest shot and all, remember?" She became very serious. "You should be happy that she finally wants that from you."  
  
"Charlie! It's the first time I've  heard you defending Buffy like that!"   
  
"Yeah. She's not a bad person. So she has some issues... Who doesn't? She has yet to tell those friends of hers about you two. But, from what you tell me, she is trying to work it out." A mischievous glint lit up her eyes. "That does not mean however, that I will not write that anonymous threat letter, if she treats you badly."  
  
Spike got up and gave Charlie a quick hug. "Okay then, I will keep your words in mind... Mom!" Spike barely managed to duck the cushion Charlie threw at him. "I will see you later, luv." Spike put his keys in his duster pocket and marveled at it. Those were *his* keys to the house. It was still a concept he had some trouble accepting as real.    
  
Now all he had to do was tell Buffy.   
  
*   
  
Charlie had landed back on her feet. She had moments – when her eyes would get that far away look and he knew she was thinking about Frances. She always came back, though.  His friend was definitely on the mend.  
  
Spike had realized it was time to move out. Except... except that the tiny little house had become home. He knew where the coffee mugs were kept and the trick of how to get the closet door open. Living there for just some weeks and he had already gotten used to having somebody around. What a sentimental poof he was. Truth was, being there for Charlie had done something to him. She accepted him the way he was – he had no need to pose as anything other than himself. Charlie needed him, but he knew he needed her too.    
  
Spike looked around… Yeah, he would miss it. But it was time to let Charlie have her space back. So that morning he had started to get ready to leave.    
  
He threw another black T-shirt into his bag.   
  
Charlie walked in to find Spike packing. She walked up to him and stood there with both hands on her hips as if expecting an explanation. When none was forthcoming she made him look at her and asked, "What in the frilly heck are you doing?"   
  
"Getting my things together, luv. It's about time that I stopped taking up space." His attempt at lightness did nothing to change the girl's angry expression.  
  
   
  
"Taking up space? I see..." Charlie poked the beat up duffel bag with her boot. "So you are leaving and going back to that comfy crypt of yours?"   
  
"Yep."  
  
"Because it is so much better than sharing the same 'space' with me?" Spike didn't answer. He didn't trust himself to talk when so much was going on inside. "We have to talk Mr. Spike." Charlie sat on the couch and patted the space next to her. When Spike sat down, she turned to face him. "Now, I am going to ask you something. If you don't want to, it's fine – all you have to do is say no and it will be okay. But if you say yes, it has to be because that's what you want. Not because you feel you have to, or anything else. Deal?"  
  
"Deal." What was the girl up to now?  
  
"I need to find a new roommate and I can't think of anybody I can get along with better than you." Spike's face was inscrutable. "What I am saying is – do you want to move here?"  
  
When the only answer she got from Spike was a surprised look, she continued, "We can get the basement fixed up. I know you have been using the office, but it is so small! We can ask the whelp, I mean Harris, to make a nice apartment for you downstairs. Think of the advantages: invitation needed for the undead to come in, hot showers and a decent place to bring your girlfriend to…"   
  
"You have given this a lot of thought, haven't you?" Spike managed to get his voice back. He really hadn't seen that one coming. A proper home… He hadn't have one for so long.  
  
   
  
"Some." Charlie had in reality given it a lot of thought. She was not naïve and understood that asking Spike to move in came with serious consequences, but it also came with… well, Spike. Her best friend. "I know who you are and about the other, darker, side of Sunnydale. You know I am okay with it. What do you say?"    
  
"I guess we can ask the whelp to do some work." Charlie's reaction upon hearing that had been to throw her arms around him in a tight hug.  
  
   
  
*  
  
   
  
"That movie was not bad, was it?" Buffy looked at Spike. He had been unusually quiet during the movie. "Hello, Earth to Spike?"   
  
"Sorry, love." He sat down on a tombstone and instinctively went for his fags, only to stop midway. Buffy didn't like what she called the ashtray kiss. He sighed and put his hands into his pockets. Kissing her was more than worth doing without a smoke. "Buffy, what do you think about Charlie?"  
  
"That came out of nowhere. Charlie?" Buffy sat next to him and looked down at her swinging feet. "She's okay."   
  
"C'mon, pet, you can do better than that."  
  
   
  
"Do better. Will try. Well, the first time I saw her was at the Bronze, nibbling your neck, I wanted to chop off her hair." Spike laughed.  
  
"Amazon girl. But then I realized that she was just a friend." Buffy was not about to tell him about the night she had sneaked up to Charlie's kitchen window to spy on them. "Your friend." Buffy fell silent for a while and Spike gave her time to organize her thoughts.  
  
"I guess that's what was weird for me. She is *your* friend. I was so used to you just hanging out by yourself. Or with my friends. Okay, there was Harmony, but we are so not going there. Suddenly you have your own friend, who is not only human, but really protective of you. She takes your side, when I was used to having everybody take mine. It was enlightening." Spike looked at Buffy with a questioning look. "I am not that clueless. I saw the way she always managed to leave when I went into bitch mode. It made me aware that I can be kind of hard with you. Something that wouldn't have happened otherwise."   
  
   
  
"So you were jealous?" Somehow that was the part that had stood out for him.   
  
Buffy rolled up her eyes. "Don't let it get to your head." Spike hugged her and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. "I have seen how you care for her. Yeah. I was jealous. Jealous of the amount of time you spend with her. Jealous of the inside jokes I didn't get. Even Willow noticed."  
  
Buffy got up and stood between his legs, looking him straight in his eyes. "I want you to understand that I do get it now, though. We all need friends. I know that better than most. I don't know where I would be without the gang. Charlie is your friend and I am glad you found someone who cares about you."   
  
Spike loved this girl. "It's great that you understand, love. Buffy, what would you say if I decided to move out of the crypt?"   
  
"And leave all this?" She gestured around her. "I would say that it was about time."   
  
"What if I told you I was moving to Charlie's house?"  
  
"Oh." Buffy bit her lower lip. "What can I say about you moving to the house of a tall, beautiful and intelligent woman who is not me? Gee!"  
  
   
  
"Slayer, c'mon… You know there is no reason to be jealous. I love you. You know it. Charlie is like a sister. And believe me, I am not her type. Totally wrong equipment."   
  
"I know that. It's just me, being all girlfriendly." Did she just say that? She glanced quickly at Spike. Boy, his head was going to explode after that one. She was kind of stunned when he let it slip. He just smiled.  
  
Sometimes it was just better to enjoy things without words. He leaned and kissed his slayer on the lips.  
  
    
  
Buffy felt her heart skip various beats and her legs begin to shake. The blond could kiss… A memory of the night they had spent together filled her mind and a soft moan escaped her lips. Regretfully she drew away from the kiss. Spike was looking at her with such intensity that she knew he too was thinking about the same thing.  
  
"Buffy…" His voice sounded hoarse and full of longing. He lifted her head with his finger and kissed her again, this time even more deeply. "I love you Slayer. Nothing can change that. Nothing ever will."  
  
She tried to speak, but he silenced her with another kiss.  
  
When she thought she wouldn't be able to hold out any longer, Spike let her go and whispered, "You don't have to say anything. I feel it too… It's okay. I promised I would wait and I will. Not easy, you know?"  
  
She nodded against his chest. No it was not easy at all.  
  
They embraced and held each other close.  
  
Finally Buffy looked up. "Does that mean that now you get a decent bathroom?"    
  
Spike laughed and getting down from the tombstone, held out his hand, which she took. "Yeah love, guess it does. Why? You thinking of showering over at my place?"   
  
Buffy smiled and whispered in his ear, "We'll see…"  
  
   
  
The End 


	5. New Friends

Title: New Friends  
  
By: Chen  
  
Feedback: Oh! Yes!  
  
Rating: G  
  
Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to Joss Whedon and ME (Grr! Argh!) and, alas, not to me.  
  
Spoilers: Not really.  
  
A/N: Charlie strikes again. Sequel to 'Just Good Friends'. In this story I write about something I have little knowledge of - I hope I managed to do it in a credible and respectful way.  
  
I want to thank my BETA – Alanna. Never forgetting Colleen who always reads my stuff and still encourages me.  
  
Just one more thing, I promise! Thanks to all you guys who took the time to give me feedback – it means the world to me!   
  
***   
  
Charlie rushed down the street, cursing the amount of time it took to brush her long hair. She found Tara already waiting with a cup of coffee placed in front of her. Charlie apologized to the shy girl and sat down. Ordering came next, and when they both had their respective ridiculously large cups of coffee in front of them, Charlie raised her head and looked at the girl. "So, Tara, you one of them Scoobies?"  
  
"Oh, no. I m…mean I was. S… sort of. When Wi…Willow and I were together. Not since."  
  
Tara's stutter threw Charlie. She hadn't meant to make the girl nervous. "I am sorry if I was nosy."  
  
"No it is okay. They are a tight group, you know?"  
  
"Yes, I sort of know, from what Spike told me."  
  
"Spike. He is sort of a Scoobie too. In an odd way, that is." Charlie laughed and Tara blushed. She still hadn't gotten used to that mini earthquake that was the tall girl's laugh.  
  
"I guess you could say that. Even though he would deny it with a couple of 'bloody' this and 'bloody' that." She shook her head. "That is Spike."  
  
"You seem to know him pretty well. I don't want to pry… or anything."  
  
"It's okay. Yes, I think I know him a bit. Pretty well? I don't think so. He is not an easy one to figure out. But what I do know, I like. Hey, he saved my life!"   
  
"He saved your life?" Tara didn't even bother to hide her astonishment.   
  
"Yeah, that is how we actually met. I was going home one night and got attacked by a vampire. The thing is about to make yours truly its supper, when out of nowhere comes this bleached blond bloke. Then, it is like one of those Batman cartoons: Bang! Swish! Poof! Vampire is gone and before I can say thank you or anything at all…. Blonde mystery savior is gone, just like that." Charlie snapped her fingers to add emphasis to the 'that'.  
  
"Except I was not about to let it go, or to explain the whole thing away, like most people around here do. I had to know who this guy was… So I tracked him down."  
  
Charlie paused and took a fag from her coat pocket. "Okay if I smoke?"  
  
Tara nodded a yes, wanting to hear the rest of the adventure. Charlie had a gift for storytelling.  
  
"Took me months, but I found him and in the process heard a lot about him. You know the tale: traitor vampire who now kills his own kind because he's in love with the Slayer. The poetry of it all alone is enough to make anyone curious. I didn't give up and I finally caught up with him at Willie's."    
  
Tara wrinkled her nose at the mere mention of the demon- friendly bar. "You actually went there? Willie's?"    
  
"Yes, I did. Willie's. What a place." Charlie's wrinkled nose matched Tara's. "Spike and I have a pact to never go back there. Anyway… We started talking and we just clicked, you know? Somehow it was as if I had known the guy all my life. Not to mention our ridiculous addiction to fags and Passions."   
  
"You two are… together?"  
  
Charlie couldn't help herself, she had to laugh. "No! Oh, God, no! Just friends. Like in: 'I'm gay and he's in love with Buffy' friends." She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Spike and I are almost like family. The truth is, he is the only family I have now."   
  
"You… are gay?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I thought you knew."    
  
"I didn't. I am surprised. Is this…" Tara felt her face grow hot.   
  
"Please, this isn't a date like in 'date'." Charlie looked Tara square in the face. "Please, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. I thought we could be friends. You seem to be a nice person and I like making new friends. Inviting you for coffee was just about meeting someone I would like to know better, okay? Plus we have some things in common. Not many people are familiar with the Hellmouth side of Sunnydale, as you are well aware of." She placed a hand on Tara's shoulder. "Besides, I know about you and Red, I mean Willow. I went through something like that not long ago - a long relationship that ended badly."  
  
"I am sorry. Was yours a witch too?"   
  
"No, vampire." Tara couldn't hide her surprise. "Not when we were together. She got turned and…" Charlie's eyes filled with unwanted tears at the memory of Frances. "I dusted the vampire. I dusted the demon who killed Frances." Her was suddenly very soft.   
  
"It must have been hard for you."   
  
   
  
"Yes, it was," Charlie pulled herself together. "Mercifully I had Spike to get me through all of it. He made me understand that the demon looked like Frances and talked like her, but it was not my girl. It still gets to me though. I miss her."  
  
"I understand. I know it's not the same, but I miss Willow too." Tara patted Charlie's hand in sympathy. "You okay?"   
  
"I'm getting there. You?"   
  
"It is hard. Willow was my first real girlfriend... I had crushes before, but not a serious relationship like I had with her. It's not easy finding someone to love and trust. Finding that person and having her love you back is almost a miracle."  
  
It was Charlie's turn to nod in sympathy.  
  
Tara glanced at the girl sitting next to her understanding how the usually difficult Spike could be friends with Charlie. She was so easy to open up to. In some strange way, she just knew Charlie would listen to whatever she had to say and not judge her for it. Tara could see the girl's aura pattern and smiled to herself. The girl was all about temperance. It made sense.  
  
Tara made up her mind to ask Charlie the question that was jumping up and down in her mind. "If it's not too much of a personal question… When did you find out…"   
  
"That I was gay? And don't worry, I don't mind talking about it at all." Charlie put out her fag on the ashtray and placed it on an empty table behind her. "I was around fifteen when it became kinda obvious to me. I was not interested in boys at all. My father was so happy about that, then not so happy when he found out that what I was interested in were other girls. I got a big crush on a senior girl in my high school. I kept it to myself, you know how it is. Thought something was wrong with me and all that."  
  
Tara nodded in understanding. She knew all about that.   
  
"So I mustered up enough courage to tell my best friend about it. No way I was going to tell my parents. I invite her over and my heart is in knots and I am sure she is going to totally freak out. I just had to tell somebody or go insane. I sit down and I just tell her. And she…" Charlie smiled at the memory. "Boy, I still can hear her voice. She asks: 'is she cute?' and then 'are you happy?'. No freak out."  
  
"Wow. Nothing?"  
  
"Nope. Not a thing. I felt so relieved. My best friend, who is straight as can be, just accepted me for who I was. Learned an important lesson that night. Just be yourself. People who really care about you, will love you for that." Tara looked at Charlie with renewed admiration. "And that is my very long and way too elaborate answer to your question." Charlie took a sip from the coffee and noticed Tara was silent. "Hope I didn't bore you into silence."   
  
"No, not at all. It's just that you seem to be so comfortable in your skin. I am not that… comfortable in mine."  
  
"I don't see why not. You seem fine to me."  
  
Tara gave Charlie one of her embarrassed smiles. "I am trying to get there. I grew up very much the loner. Being gay in a small town was not all that easy. Not to mention all the… family issues. I have to thank Spike in a way for helping me. When my father came to take me back home – when it was time for me to change into a demon…"   
  
"What?" Charlie exclaimed.  
  
   
  
"Please don't worry." It was Tara's turn to laugh. "I am not a demon. You know about Spike's chip – how it works?"   
  
Charlie nodded yes. "Can't hurt humans, gets massive headaches when he does. Yeah."   
  
"Okay, so my father came to Sunnydale with my brother and my cousin. I did something really stupid then – a spell to keep everybody from seeing demons. It was a mess. Not proud of that one. In my defense, if there is such a thing, I did believe the story. I believed that I was going to turn into a demon and Willow wouldn't love me anymore. So we are all at the Magic Box… You know the Magic Box, right?"  
  
"Yes, except Spike calls it Scoobie Central."   
  
"So we are all there at the store. My father is saying these horrible things about me and I am feeling like less than nothing, when Spike comes over and punches me. Big headache for Spike."   
  
"Big Spike headache, ergo you are not a demon. I wish I could have seen it."   
  
"No, you don't. We weren't very nice to him." Tara looked down at her coffee. "Vampires were all supposed to be evil and Spike was not to be trusted. Except for Angel because…"   
  
"Because the poof has a soul." Tara couldn't help laughing with Charlie over the Spikeism.   
  
"Yes. Spike is different though, isn't he? He stayed and helped us during the summer, when Buffy was gone. He did a lot of good things since then... He has changed."   
  
"Yes hon, he has. And it has been hard for him, very hard. He brings a whole new meaning to the 'fighting your demons' cliché, doesn't he?" Charlie's eyes went soft at the thought of Spike in the Halloween pajamas with the little bats she had bought him as a present and had sworn on her life not to tell anyone about. "He can be a sweetie though."  
  
"Aren't you afraid about what will happen if something goes wrong with the chip?"  
  
Charlie sighed and pondered upon the question that had troubled her for a while. "I am afraid *for* him, but not *of* him… There's a big difference there. And I am definitely not afraid for my own safety. I just know he would never harm me. I trust him. When it happens, *if* it happens, I have every intention of being there to help him in whatever way I can." A shudder passed through the girl's body. "No use worrying about it now... We will cross that bridge when we come to it."  
  
"It is a big risk. To care about somebody like Spike. It can bring a lot... of pain."  
  
"Yes, it is a risk. Yes, it can bring a lot of pain. It can also bring a lot of happiness. Without Spike, I would have been dead now. With him, I am not only alive, but I also have a loyal and loving friend. Even though we haven't know each other for very long… I just can't explain it to you."  
  
Charlie's voice became very solemn, loosing its usual lightness. "There's something there that is like blood. Family. He is my best friend. There's not much I would not do for him and he has been there for me from day one. I like my odds, Tara."  
  
Images flashed in rapid succession in Charlie's mind… Spike's boyish grin when she gave him extra marshmallows with his hot chocolate… His first disastrous foray into the kitchen so he could learn to cook Buffy a romantic dinner… And the one she cherished the most: her best friend, holding her and comforting her through all those endless nights, when the nightmares had almost driven her insane.  
  
She had no regrets and knew had she the choice, she wouldn't do anything differently.   
  
"I definitely like my odds."   
  
The End  


	6. Friend or Foe 1

Friend or Foe Complete - 1/3  
  
By: Chen (Chenanceou)  
  
Feedback: Yes, please!  
  
Archive: Talk to me first?  
  
Spoilers: Not much. S6.  
  
A/N: Sequel to 'New Friends' in the Friends series. Yes, Charlie is back. And Spike's life continues to change. Sometimes change – even for the better – can prove hard to deal with.  
  
This is a bit different from the other sequels as it is a trilogy. So, once again, bear with me.  
  
   
  
I was about to stop writing – it had been very hard for me with the show and all (you know what I am talking about) and some really nice people took a lot of their time to cheer me on. Thank you ladies. For the time, for the brainstorming sessions during chat, for the BETAs and for just not letting me quit.  
  
   
  
***  
  
This is the way the world ends  
  
This is the way the world ends  
  
This is the way the world ends  
  
Not with a bang but a whimper.  
  
T.S. Eliot  
  
***  
  
   
  
"Spike! Spike!" Charlie took the stairs two at a time, waiving an envelope in the air. "Wake up! It's here!"  
  
   
  
She approached the bed where the vampire slept, dead to the world. Charlie's usually pale skin was flushed a deep red and her eyes shone with excitement. Unable to wait for Spike to wake up, she jumped on the bed and started tickling him.  
  
   
  
Spike twisted to avoid her hands. "Charlie! Stop!" He knew his big bad posture was quite hard to maintain when he was reduced to giggles.  
  
   
  
"It is not my fault, I did try yelling first!" Charlie produced the letter and waved it in front of his face. "C'mon Spikey! The letter is here! Open it!"  
  
   
  
Spike feigned disinterest as he slowly rose and lit the first fag of the day. "Letter? What letter?"  
  
   
  
"Oh! You fiend! You know what letter! The letter from the publishing house." She noticed the smirk surfacing on his face and threatened, "William! If you don't open it, I will!"  
  
   
  
"Hey, no need to use the name!"  
  
   
  
"Aren't you going to open it?"  
  
   
  
Spike sat next to Charlie on the bed, looking anywhere but at the letter. "No pet, you open it."  
  
   
  
Without waiting another second, Charlie tore the envelope open. She looked at the folded letter and then handed it to him. "I can't. You read it! Stop being such a poof," she said, ignoring Spike's raised eyebrow and the beginning of what was surely to be a vehement protest. "Read it already."  
  
He read the letter quietly and then placed it on the bedside table. Charlie waited all of five seconds before her curiosity got the better of her. "Well?"  
  
   
  
"Well what, luv?" His face was a mask of pure innocence.  
  
   
  
She growled at him. "You are so evil!"  
  
   
  
He gave her his most charming smile. "Flattery will get you anything, luv."  
  
   
  
"Spike! I am going to explode if you don't tell me!"  
  
   
  
"We can't have that, now can we, Charlotte?" Spike's smile grew even wider. "They accepted it!"  
  
   
  
With a Xena battle cry Charlie jumped on Spike giving him a big hug. "Yhaaa ! Your book is getting published!"  
  
   
  
Spike couldn't hold back any longer. Big bad be damned! He pulled Charlie into his arms and led her in an impromptu waltz around the basement.  
  
   
  
Charlie abruptly stopped, looking at Spike straight in the eye. "You *do* know what this means – right?"  
  
   
  
"No, lamb what does it mean?" He asked, doubt starting to invade his happiness.  
  
   
  
Charlie laughed, filling the whole room with her thunder. "We absolutely have to throw a party!" She smoothed Spike's sleep messed hair and saw the worry vanish from his eyes. She knew he instinctively expected things to go wrong. "I like your hair curly like this so much better than when you slick it back."  
  
   
  
"Do you really, pet? Maybe it's time for a change. I have been wearing it like this for the last…"  
  
   
  
"Don't try to sidetrack me here Mr. Vampire. We *are* having a party to celebrate your first book!"  
  
   
  
They started waltzing again.  
  
   
  
***  
  
   
  
"Anne? Hello, my name is Charlotte Bennett. Kim Woodson gave me your number."  
  
   
  
Charlie had asked around for the best party planner in Sunnydale, and Anne came highly recommended. "Of course! Kim said you would be calling. How can I help you Charlotte?"  
  
   
  
Charlie had her fingers crossed. "Call me Charlie, please. It would be great if you would be able to fit me in…"  
  
   
  
***  
  
   
  
"It's all set. Anne is taking care of the caterer and of most of the details. We were so lucky to get her!" Charlie took the space next to Spike on the couch and lit a cigarette. "She even got the Bronze to close for the party."  
  
   
  
"Really posh, pet, but don't you think you're going overboard with this? It's only one lousy book."  
  
   
  
"Shut up." She took the sting from her words by giving him a kiss on the nose. "It's quite an accomplishment. I am proud of you and you should be proud of yourself!" She passed him a piece of paper. "Take a couple of minutes and go over the guest list. I have to hand it in to Anne this afternoon."  
  
   
  
"Hmm.. Charlie…?" Spike had an uncertain look on his face. "I want to invite some of my more unusual friends… Clem, Dvarka, and a couple of others. Do you really think inviting the literary agent and the people from the publishing house is wise?"  
  
   
  
"Don't worry – it will add to your mystique. Trust me." Spike gave her a very untrusting look. "C'mon! You wrote a book about demons and vampires. They will think it's some kind of publicity stunt. It will be fine." She took a drag and watched the smoke curl up towards the ceiling. "Spike, have you told Buffy yet?"  
  
   
  
"About the party, or about the book?"  
  
   
  
"Both," she said as she turned to watch him.  
  
   
  
"No. I want it to be a surprise." Somehow his voice lacked sincerity. He was a lousy liar for somebody who had worn the black hat for so long.  
  
   
  
"Hon, what's the matter? You can tell me." She put her arm around Spike's shoulders and waited.  
  
   
  
"It's just that. . . I don't know how she is going to react, Charlie. The book. You and I know those stories owe very little to my imagination. They're embellished versions of things I did and experienced. I'm not sure that Buffy will like having a reminder of my 'scourge of Europe' days rubbed in her nose." Spike could still recall the look of disgust that the Slayer had reserved for him not long ago. Also, things were going so well of late that he was afraid to stir things up.  
  
   
  
"Spike, she knows this is your past. You have changed so much, hon. She loves you, right?" The vampire gave her a doubtful look. "Stop doing this to yourself. Just go and tell her – something you should have done already. She will be as proud of you as I am." She gave him a mischievous smile. "You might even get lucky."  
  
   
  
***  
  
   
  
Spike prepared himself for Buffy's reaction as he walked up the steps, telling himself for the thousandth time to stop being such a wanker. He knocked on the door.  
  
   
  
"Spike? It's still early for patrol." Buffy hugged him and kissed him lightly on the lips.  
  
   
  
So far, so good, he thought.  
  
   
  
"I wanted to talk to you love. Let's go and sit down." Buffy followed him to the back porch steps and sat, while Spike paced back and forth summoning the courage to speak.  
  
   
  
"So what's up?"  
  
   
  
"I should have told you sooner, but I wanted to be sure that it was really going to happen before I told you anything about it and now that I know it *is* happening, I came over to tell you about it and…" The words rushed out of his mouth in one long stream.  
  
   
  
"Spike, what is it?" Buffy saw how nervous he was and wondered whether she should be worried or amused. "More point. Less cryptic?"  
  
   
  
"I wrote a book, and it got accepted. It's going to be published."  
  
   
  
Yes, that had been to the point. "Book? Published?"  
  
   
  
"Yes and yes, Buffy."  
  
   
  
"Oh, cool." Her voice was flat. Since when did he write?, Buffy asked herself. I so can't deal with another change around here.  
  
   
  
He had expected anger for not telling her sooner, had hoped for a hug and some kissing to be involved. He had not expected this… nothing.  
  
   
  
"That's all you have to say?" He tried hard to hide the disappointment in his voice.  
  
   
  
"Congratulations, I guess. Listen, can you patrol tonight without me? I have some stuff to do." She got up from the steps before he could answer her and gave him an dry peck on the lips. "Congratulations again. I'll see you later." With that, she went in and was gone.  
  
   
  
"And Charlie and I are having a party to celebrate this *great* accomplishment of yours truly." Spike said sarcastically to the empty spot where Buffy had been a moment ago. He raised his eyes to the closed door and felt the disappointment turning to anger. Damn if he would let her know how hurt he was by her dismissal of what was a landmark in his existence.  
  
***  
  
   
  
"How did it go?" Charlie asked, looking up from her computer.  
  
   
  
"It didn't, Charlie." He paced the room as he felt the anger spreading through his body. "The bloody Slayer didn't even care!" He ran his hands through his hair. "Damn her! And she has to be crazy to think she can just… Me patrol? Damn it all to hell!"  
  
   
  
Charlie got up and made her way to Spike, trying to hug him, only to be shrugged off.  
  
   
  
"Leave me alone. Don't touch me. I… I have to be alone." With that he stomped his way to his room in the basement, not without banging the door first.  
  
   
  
Charlie stood there not knowing what to do. She had never seen Spike like this before. Her protective instincts told her to go after him and try to calm him down, but what if he just needed to be alone? This indecision was new to Charlie, for when it came to Spike, she had always known the right thing to do. She leaned against the basement door and knocked softly, noticing that some of the hinges had been broken.  
  
   
  
"Hon, you did a pretty number with the door… We're going to have to call Harris to fix it."  
  
   
  
"Go away Charlie. Just leave me alone."  
  
   
  
Charlie opened the door gingerly, but the damage was more extensive than she thought. The door came totally off the hinges and fell on top of her.  
  
   
  
Before she could recover, Spike was kneeling down next to her, worry and remorse evident on his face. "Charlie girl? Are you all right? It's my bloody fault!"  
  
   
  
Charlie propped herself up on an elbow and shook her head to clear her vision. "Yes, I am okay. And no – it wasn't your bloody fault. It was an accident." She took his hand and got up on her feet. "Now that I have suffered wounds in the name of friendship, could you please tell me what is going on?"  
  
   
  
Spike picked the door from the floor where it had landed and put it against the wall before answering. "Nothing is going on Charlie. I told her, and I got no reaction at all. Well, she did say 'congratulations, I guess'." Sarcasm and bitterness mixed in his voice.  
  
   
  
"Help me get to the sofa, I am still a bit dizzy." Spike helped her lie down on the sofa and sat on the floor facing her.  
  
   
  
"I'm sorry about before Charlie. I was a stupid git for blowing up like that, but sometimes I loose control." He looked down still ashamed of his behavior. "I *am* a demon."  
  
   
  
"You are not a demon. Okay, you are a demon. What I mean is that you reacted in the same way any *hot* blooded male with a bad temper would." Spike rewarded her with a weak smile. "I knew I could get a smile." She reached out and took his hand in hers. "You are just a whole lot stronger than the average Joe, so don't beat yourself up over the door. Now, about Buffy… I don't know what is going on there, hon. My first instinct is to tell you how undeserving she is of a guy like you, but that is your very protective friend speaking." Charlie felt Spike squeeze her hand. "But if you think about it, what happened is quite at odds with the Buffy of the last few months."  
  
   
  
"I don't know what to think, pet. Actually I didn't think, I just reacted."  
  
   
  
"So what's new?" Charlie ruffled Spike's hair fondly. "Something must be going on with her that you missed while tending to your hurt ego. Listen to me, we go ahead with the party as if nothing has happened tonight, okay?" Spike tried to protest, but the look on Charlie's face told him it would be useless. "Don't even think about it, hon. We will have the party. I handed the guest list to Anne, and the wheels are in motion. The invitations are going out in a couple of days. In the mean time, you have work to do with your editor, and I have to get that door fixed." She softened her tone. "What are you going to do about Buffy?"  
  
   
  
"Damned if I know, luv."  
  
   
  
End of part 1 


	7. Friend or Foe 2

Title: Friend or Foe 2/3  
  
By: Chen (Chenanceou)  
  
Feedback: Sure. Feed me back!  
  
Disclaimers: All things Buffy belong to ME (Grr! Argh!) and not to me. Charlie owns me though.  
  
Archive: Talk to me first?  
  
Spoilers: Nothing much. Some s6. By now this is my own universe.  
  
A/N: Second part to the 'Friend or Foe' sequel in the Friends Series. 'Friend or Foe' follows 'New Friends'.  
  
It's all about changes.  
  
Being without a computer of my own for some time, I want to dedicate this to anybody who has had PC problems. It sucks.  
  
***  
  
  
  
This is the way the world ends  
  
This is the way the world ends  
  
This is the way the world ends  
  
Not with a bang but a whimper.  
  
   
  
T.S. Eliot  
  
   
  
***  
  
   
  
Tara picked up the coffee mug from the table and rinsed it in the sink.  
  
   
  
"You don't have to do that Tara." Charlie said as she finished bringing the dinner plates from the table.  
  
   
  
"It's no problem. Besides I like it." She dried her hands on the dishcloth and sat down at the kitchen's table. "Spike left to patrol?" Charlie nodded as she lit a cigarette. "He was sort of quiet tonight, wasn't he?"  
  
   
  
"Yes. He has a lot on his mind these days." A lot of Buffy, Charlie mentally corrected.  
  
   
  
It had been over a week since he had last seen Buffy. For a week they had been studiously avoiding each other, patrolling different sides of town. Both were too proud to seek the other one out. Charlie had decided to stay out of it. Those two had to work things out on their own. But nonetheless, it pained her to see her friend suffering.  
  
   
  
"A book." Tara smiled at the thought. "I still can't get over the fact he's getting published. And the accent… He sounds different now, doesn't he?"  
  
   
  
"He told me it was time to drop the cockney act."  
  
"It was fake? Fooled me."  
  
Charlie chuckled. "Seems it was part of his big bad schtick. I'm just happy he hasn't dropped the Spikeisms. He wouldn't be Spike without them."  
  
   
  
Charlie hadn't really noticed the change at first, as it had been very subtle. When she did comment on his polished English, he had just shrugged it off as if it were nothing of importance.     
  
   
  
"He sounds a bit like Giles now. You didn't get to meet him, did you?"  
  
   
  
"No, I wish I did though. Spike has a secret soft spot for the Watcher."  
  
   
  
"You would've liked him. So, how's the party planning going?"  
  
   
  
"Anne is such a find. She is taking care of everything. All I have to do is tell her how much I want to spend and how I want it to be done." Charlie gave Tara a mischievous look. "She is also quite a knock out. Tall with the most beautiful red hair." She winked at Tara who couldn't help blushing at the not so subtle teasing. "You are coming right?"  
  
   
  
"I…I don't know. What about Willow? She'll probably bring that new Monique girl she has been seeing… It could become awkward very fast."  
  
   
  
"They are all coming Tara. And if Red is coming with a date, then so are you." Charlie raised a hand to stop Tara from protesting. "You have to be there. I need someone intelligent and good looking to go with."  
  
   
  
"Charlie, are you asking me to be your date for the party?"  
  
   
  
Charlie laughed out loud at the witch's incredulity. "You do fit the requirements. C'mon it will be fun, I promise! Plus it would hurt Spike's feelings if you did not come." Charlie gave Tara her best puppy face. "Please?"  
  
   
  
Tara didn't look forward to seeing Willow with a date, but told herself that it would have to happen sooner or later. Life did go on. Besides, being Charlie's date was a guarantee that she would have fun. The two girls had forged an easy friendship since the day they had met at the Espresso Pump. Tara admired the girl's ease with people and had even gotten used to her thunderous laugh.  
  
   
  
"Okay then, it's a date."  
  
   
  
***  
  
   
  
The music was blaring and the party was in full swing when the Scoobies arrived together at the Bronze. They were met at the door by an Elvira look alike, who took their invitations and checked their names on the list.  
  
   
  
"Ohh! This is going to be fun!" Willow held Monique's hand in hers.  
  
   
  
"Yeah, maybe." Buffy said absently. She hadn't wanted to come, but curiosity and the Scoobies had won her over.  
  
   
  
Buffy made her way in, happy to have the whole gang around her. There were demons all over the place and her Slayer sense told her that even though some were just the product of a good make-up artist some of them were the real deal. What was Spike up to?She spotted a table with an elaborate display for the book and walked over.  
  
   
  
Anya picked one of the black on black copies and started reading the back cover. "It's a good picture of Spike. Hmm… Actually it's William Fitzwilliam." Anya said, excited at her discovery.  
  
   
  
"What?" Buffy exclaimed.  
  
   
  
"Well, that's what it says here: 'William Fitzwilliam is a first time novelist'…"  
  
   
  
"Let me see that!" Buffy snatched the book from Anya's hand and looked at Spike's picture. The black and white picture brought out his exquisite cheekbones, but made his hair look much darker.  
  
   
  
"Cool name! William, son of William. Makes sense for a vampire. Do you think that's his real name though?"  
  
   
  
Buffy didn't really register Willow's words as she opened the book and started leafing through it, anger building with every passage she read. It was all there. Blood and gore. The deaths, the massacres. The names and places had been changed, but Buffy knew enough of William the Bloody's bio to recognize it when she saw it.  
  
   
  
She tried to find him in the crowd, but had to use her vampire radar. She finally spotted him by the dance floor talking to a curvaceous redhead and…. What had he done to his hair?  
  
   
  
"Wow! Captain Peroxide is no more." Xander had also seen Spike's new natural look.  
  
   
  
"Uh, yeah. Seems there are a lot of changes going on here." She didn't stay to hear Xander's response and made her way to where Spike was.  
  
   
  
"What did you do to your hair?" The accusation in her voice clear.  
  
   
  
"Hello Buffy." His tone was guarded, as was his posture. "This is Anne." He turned to the redhead and introduced Buffy very politely, "Anne, this is Buffy Summers."  
  
   
  
Buffy forced a smile and shook hands like her mother had taught her to. "Nice to meet you Anne."  
  
   
  
"Mr. Fitzwilliam, I'm going to check with the caterers now. If there's anything you need – just let me know."  
  
   
  
"Thank you Anne." As the woman walked away, Spike turned to give his full attention to Buffy.  
  
   
  
"Is this some kind of joke?" Buffy looked at him with contempt in her eyes. "How could you? This book… It's disgusting. *You* did all these things!"  
  
   
  
"Some of them, yes. That was a long time ago, Buffy." Spike tried to pacify her. "It's just a book, love."  
  
   
  
"Just a book…" She spat her words, her voice full of rage. "It's disgusting. How can you have a party for this? How dare you publish this filth! You even invited your demon friends! What was I thinking? You will never change."  
  
   
  
"It's not all about Buffy and that bothers you, doesn't it, pet? I am not following you around like a love-sick puppy anymore and that doesn't sit quite well with your ego?"  
  
   
  
Spike threw his hands up in frustration. "Bloody hell woman! I thought you would be happy about this! I'm making money all honest like – it's as normal as I am going to get Slayer. I am a vampire."  
  
   
  
People started to stare causing Spike to lower his voice. "Buffy, I love you. You know how much I do. I just can't keep playing this game of yours any longer, not with you changing the rules to your heart's content!"  
  
   
  
"You told me you wanted to date, even after you let me have you. It makes me happier than I can say to court you. Then you said that you need time to tell your friends about us. And not a peep out of me there. Not because I'm happy to be a dirty secret, but because I will bloody well do anything to give you what you want! But I will not let you come here and just rip apart something that I am proud of."  
  
   
  
Spike's tone acquired a forced politeness. "So if you will excuse me Slayer, I have guests to attend to. I hope you enjoy your evening." With a last look he turned and left her standing there, surrounded by the noise and the crowd.  
  
   
  
Charlie had watched the interaction from the corner of her eye while talking to Tara. As Spike approached, she reached out to take his hand.  
  
   
  
"Bad?" Charlie could kill Buffy for ruining her friend's night.  
  
   
  
"I think it's over, Charlie. I don't know what else to do." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Whatever I do, it's always the wrong thing."  
  
   
  
"Come with me – we both could use a drink."  
  
   
  
Charlie told Tara she was heading to the bar and made her way through the crowd, waiting for Spike who was being stopped by just about everybody. She could see the strain showing on his face as he accepted another congratulatory pat on the back.  
  
   
  
She ordered her drink and turned to scan the Bronze. With her attention focused on Spike, Charlie missed the man who was unsteadily making his way towards her, his eyes fixed on her cleavage.  
  
"Hello there, lover."  
  
   
  
"I think you got the wrong girl, pal." Charlie replied as she tried to put some distance between them.  
  
   
  
"No, I think I got the right one." The man had obviously been drinking more than he could hold as his bloodshot eyes and slurred speech testified. "C'mon give daddy some sugar." He clumsily tried to paw Charlie's ass with his hand. Charlie tried to free herself, but the level of drunkenness had not diminished the man's strength.  
  
   
  
"The lady told you to leave her alone." Spike took the man's hand and twisted it behind his back making the drunk whimper in pain.  
  
   
  
Charlie suddenly felt all the blood drain from her face, as she stood frozen in place.  
  
   
  
Spike was pulling on the man's arm forcing him to his knees. "Now… Be a good boy and apologize to the lady."  
  
   
  
"I'm sorry… Please let me go, you're hurting me. I'm sorry."  
  
   
  
Spike let the man go, smiling as he looked at Charlie. "He won't bother y…" It was only then he noticed Charlie's face. Her eyes were wide and the red of her lipstick stood out against her pale skin.  
  
   
  
"Charlie girl, did the wanker hurt you?"  
  
   
  
"Spike..." Was all she could say.  
  
   
  
Then it hit him. The human. The chip. What?  
  
   
  
For a moment the two friends felt suspended in time as they looked into each other's eyes. In that second Spike saw the fear in Charlie's eyes.  
  
   
  
The chip is not working, a voice in his head, which had been whispering, started yelling. He looked around him and then looked back at Charlie with full realization dawning in his eyes.  
  
   
  
"William…" Charlie tried to stop him from leaving, but it was too late.  
  
   
  
End Part 2 


	8. Friend or Foe 3

Title: Friend or Foe 3/3  
  
By: Chen  
  
Feedback: The only thing better than feedback is praise! Please feed me back.  
  
Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to ME (Grr! Argh!) and not to me. Charlie? The girl owns me.  
  
Spoilers: Some s6 and that's it.  
  
Archive: Please talk to me first?  
  
A/N: Last part of the 'Friend or Foe' Trilogy. The Friends Series does go on. Hopefully soon.  
  
This one was a tough cookie to write. I have to thank all the amazing BETAs I had working with me in this trilogy. Chris, Christy, Kelly, Mezz and Michelle. Never forgetting the Glorificus Colleen! I wouldn't have been able to do it without them. They were amazing.  
  
***  
  
1 This is the way the world ends  
  
This is the way the world ends  
  
This is the way the world ends  
  
Not with a bang but a whimper.  
  
   
  
T.S. Eliot  
  
***  
  
Spike never came home and Charlie desperately looked for him. She had spent all of last night and today out, heading back home only when all her attempts proved futile.  
  
   
  
Charlie had finally gone to Tara for a location spell and the witch had complied without asking too many questions. The look on Charlie's face and her crumpled clothes were enough for Tara to know much was at stake here.  
  
   
  
Now with a location in hand, Charlie rushed out of the apartment, with only one thought in her mind: Find Spike and bring him home.  
  
   
  
He now had what he had wanted for so long. All he had sought and tried so hard to get was now his. Would he be able to fight the demon without the help of the chip? Charlie turned her collar up against the rain as she made her way into the industrial district of Sunnydale.  
  
   
  
It was him. Charlie stopped when she saw the glow of the cigarette illuminating his face. A chill went through her body as she made her way towards him. She only hoped it was not too late.  
  
   
  
"Been looking for you since last night." She tried to sound as matter of fact as she could.  
  
   
  
"Found me, now sod off."  
  
   
  
"I was worried about you, baby. How are you feeling?"  
  
   
  
"I'm fine and dandy. Had myself a pretty good meal."  
  
   
  
He was lying she could tell. He hadn't fed; at least not yet.  
  
   
  
"So run along, pet. Go find yourself some other wanker to fuss over." The cockney act was back in place, as if it had never left. "I don't need you anymore, you hear me? So unless you fancy becoming dessert - just scram!" Spike shook his head and went into game face.  
  
   
  
Charlie felt the sting of his words and forced herself to ignore them. Instead she concentrated on the vampire. She knew that he was using the game face to scare her away.  
  
   
  
She was not leaving without him. One way or the other. There was no option for her here.   
  
   
  
"Nothing is different Spike. Don't you know that?"  
  
   
  
"Nothing is different she says! Everything is different! I'm finally rid of the bloody chip! I can go where I want, do what I want, when I feel like it! And best of all: feed! No more pig blood! I'm evil – when are you going to get it? I'm the same thing that killed your precious Frances, you git!" Spike's eyes glowed menacingly. "No use trying to pretend, ducks. I saw your face at the Bronze – I saw fear there."  
  
   
  
"Bollocks Spike! That's just a load of crap! No more chip and you stop using your brain altogether? I have never been afraid of you. I was afraid for you! You think I am so stupid as to not be aware of how loosing the chip could affect you?" Charlie fought hard to focus and control herself. "One little piece of government hardware stops working and that changes everything? And don't give me all the biding your time talk. I know you. Have you forgotten that?" She pounded her fist against her chest. "I know you!"  
  
   
  
"You knew the neutered vampire who'd been reduced to following the Slayer around!" Spike spat back in fury. "A pathetic wanker."  
  
   
  
"Buffy. It all comes down to Buffy, doesn't it? Nothing else matters! Not even you." Charlie hugged herself. "What do you think will happen if you go back? She will hunt you down. She will have to Spike… and you know it. Is that what you want?"  
  
   
  
"Beats the hell out of being her little toy, can tell you that."  
  
   
  
Charlie realized she was loosing him… Loosing her friend. The tears fell freely now, blurring her vision as she desperately tried to reach him. She sent a silent prayer to a G'd Spike insisted would have nothing to do with the likes of him. Dear G'd, if there was ever a time I needed your help, it is now. Please, help me. I am begging You. Help me. Help us.  
  
   
  
Charlie felt something inside her click and suddenly she knew exactly what to do. Thank you G'd. It was a gamble, but for Spike, she was willing to take it.  
  
   
  
"I can't live without you. You are my family. If you really are going back to your old life… I want to go with you. There is nothing left for me here if you are gone. Frances is dead, like you so kindly pointed out. Turn me Spike. Let's never grow old together."  
  
   
  
"Charlie – are you insane? You don't want me to do that to you girl."  
  
   
  
"I don't?" Charlie came closer and Spike backed up against the wall, a look of fear on his face. Charlie swept her long dark hair and bared her neck, offering it to him. She could sense the demon struggling within him, but didn't back down. "I love you. You saved my life. It is yours to take. I am going wherever you are."  
  
   
  
Spike pushed Charlie away making her fall. She just stood up again and came back to him. "I told you William, I am going wherever you are."  
  
   
  
Spike looked at his friend's face and saw no fear there. Instead her eyes were full of love and determination. "I can't Charlie. I can't turn you. It wouldn't be you anymore, luv. I… I would never do something so awful to you Charlie girl. My Charlie." He hugged her close to him and felt her body shake with tears.  
  
   
  
Charlie clung to him. "No chip in the world should tell you who you are and how you should live your life, baby. You decide. You! It's called free will. You have been doing it for years now. Don't give up! Please don't give up. I meant it when I said I don't want to be without you."  
  
   
  
Spike could hardly speak when he raised his head from Charlie's shoulders, game face gone. That girl never gave up on him. He tenderly brushed her wet hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. How could he give up?  
  
   
  
"You must be freezing. C'mon, luv, let's go home."  
  
   
  
The End 


	9. Family and Friends 1

Title: Family and Friends 1/4

By: Chen

Disclaimer: All belong to ME (Grr! Argh!), not me.

Archive: http://chenanceou.net/BtVS_NB.html

A/N: Set a few weeks after we last saw Charlie and Spike. Here's a recap: Spike found out his chip was no longer working and that he could hurt humans; he freaked and ran away, ready to go back to his evil ways; Charlie finds him and, rather dramatically, brings him back to his senses. Those two are unbeatable. Note – due to the new ratings policy on FFNet some of the chapters of this new part will be only available at my site.

=#=

"Duck, Charlie!"

Charlie reacted to Spike's voice on instinct, barely avoiding the projectile that turned out to be a vampire reluctantly learning to fly. Spinning on the ground to face the vamp, she raised her stake and had it ready in case Spike needed assistance. But he was doing fine, jumping over the crouched Charlie and, with a graceful move, dusting the vampire.

"Hey, it really *is* dust to dust and ashes to ashes, uh?"

Spike's head snapped back with a horrified look. "Luv, vampire here. Show some sensitivity..."

Charlie got up, brushing the vampire dust she had learned to hate off her pants. "You have promised me to live forever, hon." Walking over, she looked him deep in the eyes and her playful tone belied the seriousness to be found there. "Remember? Promises 101. Keep them, good. Break them, evil."

"Are you two done yet?" Tara made her way around the tombstones, stopping to catch her breath by the Alpert mausoleum. 

She had been knocked out as soon as the fangy vampire showed up, standing by while the dusting was taking place. After patrolling with them, almost every day for the last week, the witch still couldn't believe how much she had missed leaving her house in the middle of the night to risk life and limb to chase evil demons and the other nasties that abounded in Sunnydale. 

Spike and Charlie looked at each other and then turned as one to face Tara. "Yes," they answered in unison and then burst into giggles. The intensity that had been surrounding them just a minute ago evaporated and the three of them fell in pace together.

"Hot chocolate anyone?" Charlie suggested.

"With.."

"Mini-marshmallows, yes. Hon, you bought the whole town supply. Not like we'll ever be out."

Tara laughed quietly to herself. Now they were finishing each other's sentences, and she knew for a fact that Charlie and Spike borrowed each other's clothes all the time. It was all right under their noses. No way she was going to be the one to add to their already complicated lives, though. How could she explain to them what she couldn't explain to herself? Auras and cosmic links would just sound bonkers. Perhaps, even without her butting in, they would figure it out one day. And if they didn't, it really didn't matter, did it?

They were talking about whether to get some take out, Spike and Charlie already making yummy noises over the prospect of much spicy goodness, when Spike stopped abruptly. 

"What's the matter, hon? Another fangy?" A stake had already found its way to Charlie's hands and Tara hurriedly started to go over the spell she had intended to use earlier. Spike looked around, smelling the air. 

"Let's get out of here. C'mon ladies, hurry up." 

Tara looked at Charlie with a questioning look, but was met with a shrug of shoulders and a worried expression. Spike was in a hurry to get out of the cemetery and the girls had to increase their pace to keep up. Something had spooked Spike and who were they to not get spooked along?

Turning a corner of the cemetery, the gate already in sight, Spike started to relax. They were going to make it... Bugger!

The Scoobies. Buffy in braids, Willow with a fuzzy hat and what looked like a paint by numbers sweater, the colors clashing so badly they were atrocious even in the dark, and Xander a few steps behind the estrogen brigade. 

Buffy stood with her hands on her waist and a none-too-happy expression on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I could be as obvious as you and ask the same, but since the answer is clear, I won't." 

Great, Charlie thought, he sees her and reverts to fifteen.

"You're being rude, Spike."

"You're the one who's rude, Slayer." 

Okay, make it five. "We were on our way home, Buffy. Just finished a little patrolling." Charlie saw Spike making eyes at her, and pointedly ignored him. Oh boy, this couldn't get any more infantile. 

"Spike dusted a couple of vamps on the east side of the cemetery, right next to his old crypt." So, she couldn't help it, she was proud of him and maybe wanted to show off a little. Spike's regressive tendencies must be contagious.

Buffy said nothing, just stared. Spike, Charlie and Tara stood side by side, very much a mirror of herself, Willow and Xander. Stakes poked from the girls' jeans and she hadn't missed it when Charlie had hastily put away hers. They had stakes. They'd been patrolling. Who did they think they were?

A quiet voice cut through the tense silence. "Can... can we go... now?" It was Tara, trying hard to avoid Willow's eyes by looking intently at the grass sticking to her sneakers. If she had looked up, she would have seen something dark and dangerous lurking in there. 

"Yes, we're done here, pet." Spike parted the sea of Scoobies, careful not to touch Buffy, but making sure to walk close enough to Xander that the boy took a step back. Charlie gave them a weak apologetic smile and followed behind, with Tara trying to keep as close as possible.

As they reached the gate Charlie finally let out her breath. "Uncomfortable, much?" Her intention had been to relax her tense friends, but all she received were empty stares. "Like I was the only one who knew this was going to happen? Sunnydale does have an awful lot of cemeteries for its population, but this was bound to happen sooner rather than later." 

"Yeah, Charlie girl. But I'd have preferred the latter." 

"You say latter and I say later." Charlie sang and Spike couldn't hold back the smile. Turning to Tara, she reached for the witch's hand and receiving it, gave it a friendly squeeze. "So, if they are the Scoobies, what are we?"

"How about the Power Puffs?" Both Spike and Charlie made mock horror faces at Tara.

"The Scourge of Vampires?"

"Oh yeah, Spike. We are so scourgeful! Charlie teased and stuck her tongue out at him. "And that isn't even a cartoon!" 

Charlie locked arms with her friends, a wide smile still on her face. "I like the Loonies. Because, we *are* nuts."

=#=


	10. Family and Friends 2

Title: Family and Friends 2/4

By: Chen

Disclaimer: All belong to ME (Grr! Argh!), not me.

Archive: Here.

A/N: Takes place a few hours after the last chapter.

=#=

Spike had walked in after taking Tara home and was now sitting on the couch staring at nothing.

"Want to talk, hon?" Charlie threw the dishtowel she had been using to dry the mugs on the sink and made her way into the living room.

He opened his arms and Charlie came over to him, sliding easily into the offered embrace. They had their conversations like that ever since they had gotten rid of the old, brown atrocity and bought the new 'too large for the tiny living room' couch. Spike gave a deep sigh, and that too was part of their ritual. Charlie waited patiently while he tried to find the words that in his opinion, better would convey his feelings and thoughts.

"Who in the bloody hell does that girl think she is?"

Charlie let out a loud laugh that shook her whole body. "And you, a best-selling author. Couldn't you find a more eloquent way of saying that?" 

"Oh, Charlie, you know that I can't bloody well control much of anything when it comes to her."

"Yeah. I do know and I was only teasing. It's okay to tease, right?"

Spike looked down at her upturned face and once again thanked the stars for finding this odd girl. His Charlie always knew what to say and never blew smoke up his... "Yes, it's okay to tease." He gave her a peck on the forehead. "I bloody well deserve it."

"Do you have any idea of how many 'bloodies' you have gone through in the last minute?" She settled her head once more on his chest. "It was not the first time you have seen each other since the party." She heard Spike snorting at the memory. 

They had bumped into Buffy the very first time he had ventured out after the chipless freak out. The only way she had convinced him of leaving the house had been with an impossible to refute, logical argument that there was no way Buffy would be found at the university on a lecture night. Who would have thunk the Slayer was interested in 19th Century romantic poetry?

"You actually behaved better then, than you did today."

"Perhaps, because 'Hum, hello. Er, goodbye' didn't leave much leeway to act up?"

"Perhaps." Spike had been so shocked to see Buffy he had grabbed Charlie's hand and held on to it for dear unlife. Charlie hadn't been able to use the hand for a couple of days, triggering another 'I'm so awful' guilt trip that took much reassuring that 'no, he wasn't a disgusting, evil thing.'

"But don't you think it's time to get your act together? She isn't going anywhere and neither are you. You are bound to run into each other and it won't do for you to act like children. So she wasn't very nice to you about the book, but you were also pretty harsh with her. It's obvious you two still have feelings for each other." Spike feigned a protest, then remembered who he was talking to and didn't bother. "One of you will grow up eventually and all will be well. Until that happens, it pays to not piss off the Slayer, hon."

"All very wise words, luv. But it doesn't change the fact that just thinking of how callous she was makes my blood boil."

"Self-control. Embrace it. Make it your friend." Her tone of voice was suddenly dead serious. "Now more than never, babe. You know."

Yes, he knew. Finding out he no longer was the helpless, chipped vampire of yore had messed with him good. He had reacted like a git, running away, sure that nothing was left to him, but to go back to his old life. Charlie, soaked to the bone, her face a mask of resolution, had found him and brought him home. He shuddered to think what would have happened if she hadn't been there... If she hadn't been willing to go so far to bring him to his senses...

"Stop thinking about it. You wouldn't have done anything stupid. Make that too stupid, because you worried me sick and *that* was stupid."

"How did you..."

"Know what you were thinking?" Charlie turned around and faced him. "Didn't you know? I'm a powerful witch!" She tickled him, making him laugh. "I know you, William. You know me. It happens with people who are close." She messed his hair with the hand that wasn't pinned under his arm. "And I love you."

"I... love you too, Charlie girl." Spike drew her in a tight hug and felt his heart swell with a warmth that freed him of all the anger and fear that had been building up. He softly whispered into her dark hair, "I love you right up to the moon."

"I love you right up to the moon and back, William." Charlie answered back. 

=#=

He was standing in the sun and Charlie was about to scream for him to get into the shade of the nearby tree when she realized he wasn't bursting into flames. No, he was fine and smiling, calling to her. Charlie made her way up the hill, stopping to gather the long skirts in her hands. 

"William, what a fright you have given me!" Coming to stand next to him, Charlie noticed how old fashioned his suit was. Come to think of it, so was her long, corseted dress.

"Oh, darling, I just had to come and see it. It's spring again – look at the field covered with blossoms!" He wasn't lying; the field before them was full of vibrant colors. The flowers seemed all to have come to an agreement to open at the same time, for not one was denying the warm sun. 

Charlie's eyes filled with tears at so much beauty and she then looked at William. 

"Is it not a wondrous sight? You have forgiven me for disappearing, haven't you?" He looked like a boy... so young, with large, pleading blue eyes.

"Don't be foolish, you know quite well I can never be cross with you for very long." They stood there in silence gazing at the field until the sun started to descend behind the far hills. A soft breeze passed them, and Charlie felt her skin prickle. The darkness was starting to cover the field and the flowers, making her whisper to William. "Shall we make our way home? I'm starting to feel cold."

"It will get much colder. Ice and night will come to all your hearts, won't it, Miss Edith? Then we'll dance on all the graves and the pretty boy will forever hold my hand and no one else's." 

The dark woman that had materialized out of nothingness was a stranger to Charlie, but William seemed to recognize her and consider her a threat, for he placed himself between the dark lady and Charlie. "Go away and leave us alone. You don't belong here. You are not welcome."

Laughter, coming from the woman, echoed around them. The echoing sound, devoid of any mirth, was instead filled with an unsettling hysteric quality. Charlie knew they were in danger and without thinking, she stepped from behind William and faced the stranger. "You can't take him. He no longer belongs to you."

The lady stopped and looked straight at Charlie and a chill much colder than any remnant of winter made her shudder. "Oh, Miss Edith, she thinks our boy is all in a nice package now! Full of bows and silk papers!" She continued talking to the odd little doll, but Charlie no longer cared to hear what she had to say, and grabbing William's hand, she pulled him away. 

When he turned to face her, she saw terror, where before there had been only peace. "You don't belong to me and you don't belong to her, do you understand?" It was so important to make him understand, she had to make him understand. "You belong to yourself, my darling William."

Hearing that, the lady threw the doll aside and shrieked, rapidly advancing towards them in full vamp face, her fangs bared. Charlie tried to stop her, but she was too strong and with one gesture of her hand, had the girl thrown out of the way and heaving for air on the ground. 

"It's time you came back to me, my boy. Mumsy missed you. Your family has missed you." William wasn't moving a muscle as the lady approached him and started caressing his cheek. Raising her head, fangs ready, she plunged them into his neck.

"No!" Charlie screamed over and over again.

"Charlie? Luv? Wake up!" Spike was calling to her and as she looked around she saw they had fallen asleep on the couch. 

"Are you all right?" 

"Oh William, she was horrible! It was all so beautiful and then she came and made it all so terrible! I wish I had killed that bitch!"

He hugged her tightly, trying to calm the tremors that were shaking her body. Truth be told, he was also trying to control his own. He had woken up seconds before Charlie. In his nightmare, Drusilla had been draining him dry. Like the first time. Like the last time. 

"She's evil. The dark lady is evil." Charlie had placed her head on the cushion, still holding tight to Spike's hands. It had been only a dream, but fear still stubbornly tugged at the edges of her mind. Fear that something was coming; something bad. This was Sunnydale, she told herself, slipping back into sleep. Something bad was always coming.

Spike lay down beside her and whispered the calming sweet words from long ago, but his mind was in turmoil.

The dark lady. Drusilla. Charlie had the same nightmare he had? No, it couldn't be possible, could it? 

What the hell was going on?

=#=


End file.
